Arran Challenge - September 2011
After Chapel, we came back to Arran to do a final check for what we needed for the Arran Challenge. After we had checked everything, we got on the buses with Matron, Mr Hall and Mr Turner feeling very excited for what was up ahead. We arrived at our campsite, and quickly set up our tents, unpacked and had tasty chicken, pasta, custard and jam roley poley brilliantly cooked and served by Matron. Soon after we went to bed. Well, our tents. We settled down quite quickly ready to get up early, pack up and to get in the mini-buses to drive to Ben Lawers-the mountain that we were to be climbing as the main part of the challenge. Climbing Ben Lawers was somewhat tiring but very fun and the views were amazing. At the very start of our walk, we walked through a fenced-off nature reserve which was all sorts of amazing different plants in it and some very rare ones too. After we passed through, we were to climb to the first summit, only to be told that Ben Lawers was the next one across! But that would not stop us.
Even though the winds were high and we were quite cold because we were in the clouds we carried on. As we neared the top, we had to hold on to Hamza and Yuske and even Hamish, the mountain goat! But we reached the top. We did not hang about long because the longer we stayed there, the colder we got. So we took some photos and went back down a different way. Just before we reached the top we had lunch. The different way was to go down and around. Everybody did very well, especially those who were not that comfortable on the mountain and carried on. Also on the way down Rory M started singing and we all got going. Rory was especially good at making up songs. They were all about Arran! Anyway, we completed the climb. The last bit of the challenge was to get home and to unpack. We also did that and it was topped off by Franco’s! On behalf of all of the Arran boys, I would like to say a massive thank you to Mr Turner, Matron and Mr Hall for taking us and helping us have a great weekend.
Alex J
